RocketSat IV

1
RocketSat IV

• Design Document
• Presented on May 12, 2008

2
Mission statement

• RocketSat IV will provide undergraduate students
  an opportunity to get hands on experience working
  as a team on a sounding rocket payload by taking
  qualitative data of the flight environment and
  will help NOAA expand the knowledge of the
  composition of the upper atmosphere by measuring
  the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane
  above 30km.

Colorado Space Grant Consortium
3
Summer Team
Jessica (JB) Brown Project Manager/ Mission
specialist
Aaron Russert Mission Specialist team lead
Kristen Brenner Structures Team Lead
Josh Tucker CDH Team Lead
Colorado Space Grant Consortium
4
AirCore

• Study the top 3 of earths atmosphere
• Collect sample of air from 66 km to 6 km
• Work with NOAA
• Pioneered the concept using balloon flights

• Data will be used to check validity of current
  and theoretical models of the composition of
  carbon dioxide and methane in the upper
  atmosphere
• Go towards studies on global warming.

Colorado Space Grant Consortium
5
Atmospheric profile

• RocketSat IV is aiming for an altitude of 66 km,
  just above the Stratopause.

• Typical weather balloon maximum altitude is 30
  km, within the Stratosphere.

6
Science Overview

• AirCore idea is similar to an ice core
• As rocket falls, air will be stacked into long
  coil of tubing in the order that is collected
• Diffusion over the small diameter of the tube
  happens quickly, however over the entire length
  of tubing, diffusion is slow.
• Diffusion is related to the inverse square of the
  distance
• Pressure differential pushes air into tubing

7
Theory/Science
Colorado Space Grant Consortium
8
Expected Results

• Change in composition of atmosphere
• Concentration of CO2 and Methane decrease with
  altitude
• At higher altitudes, heaver gases are separated
  from lighter gases because there is no wind to
  keep the molecules mixed

9
Structure

• CDH boards are mounted on small plates
• Same idea as the RockOn integration into the can
• Except smaller
• Fits inside our coil

10
Structure

• Small diameter tubing is coiled around the CDH
  stack
• Large tubing is coiled around smaller tubing
• Fits inside the same canister RockOn uses
• We have a drop down line to access a static port
  provided by Wallops

11
AVR Board

• Same AVR Board used in the workshop
• Same frustrations

12
Differences for CDH

• To control our solenoid valve, we have second
  board
• The AirCore board
• No Geiger counter
• Pressure sensor is relocated to our coil
• Slight modifications to software for mission

13
Leak/Contamination Test
14
Bell Jar/Mission Sim Test
15
Vibe Test
16
Fit Test
17
Questions...